Almost a Family
by BaronessBlixen
Summary: AU Fill-in for 03x10: Belle spends a morning with her family. Rumbelle. Very short one-shot. Birthday fic for Kristen3!


**A/N**: This is my first time writing Rumbelle. And I'm only doing it for Kristen3's birthday! So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Totally AU: Fill-in for 03x10. Here be no deaths, no misery and simply fluff. Enjoy.

* * *

"It's good to be back, isn't it?" Belle asked with a smile. The glorious grin Rumple threw at her was answer enough. She gently put the plates she was carrying on the table. The idea for breakfast at their home had come to her the day before. Usually, they would be eating at Granny's, but this was special. Belle didn't just have Rumple back. Neal was here as well. And as much as she loved this man, she knew that he and his son needed to spend more time together. Not to mention that she finally wanted to get to know her stepson as well. Just the thought of having a son, in whatever relation, caused her to have butterflies in her stomach. In her heart, she already knew the boy Rumple had told her about in bits and pieces. Whenever he'd talked about Bae, there had been the sense of loss, of heartbreak. Now it would be different. She hadn't asked whether he preferred Bae or Neal as his name when she'd invited him over. Belle was determined to do it right. After all, they were family. Breakfast at Granny's would have been easy, but she didn't want either of them to feel like they had to be anyone else. Chances were they'd run into the Charmings or Regina there. Belle wanted this to be just them. Just the little family that they were.

"It is. Are you sure Bae said he'd come?" Again, his voice was laced with the sadness of centuries. There was a new nuance, however; hope resonated there, too.

"He did. Stop worrying for a second." Belle almost whispered. She ran her fingers through his hair. It was the softest she'd ever touched. Belle sighed; she'd missed these quiet moments so much.

"I'm going to try. For you." He looked up at her and Belle wondered for a moment if it was possible to drown in the reflection of his eyes. She scolded herself for being so silly. Sometimes when she was with him she forgot everything else – including the rules of logic. Never had she believed that she could fall in love so deeply, so completely. She'd always sought out – and found – solace in knowledge and reason. Love had been reserved for family. Until she met him. He had unwillingly taught her what true love was all about. In turn, she had taught him the same.

Gently, Belle leaned forward and kissed him. How she'd missed this. In this town, in their life it was not easy to take a breath and just enjoy life. There was always something. Sometimes Belle longed for the past and for their land. But she knew it hadn't been perfect there either. Still, she couldn't help but miss it. One night while Rumple was gone she'd dreamed about it. In her dream they had been in his castle and Bae had been there, too. A young, confident boy who loved his parents. She had woken up with a scream. Her hand had automatically reached over to the empty side of the bed. It had taken her hours to fall asleep again. Yet, here they were. Together. Belle had never given up the hope of being reunited. She'd known she'd see him again. They weren't the Charmings, who always seemed to find each other no matter what. They were their own little fairly tale, but she'd known.

A gentle knock on the door distracted Belle. She smiled at Rumple, who was sitting up nervously. She opened the door to reveal a grinning Neal. Immediately, she went to hug him. He seemed surprised at first, but recovered quickly and hugged her back.

"I'm so glad you came." Belle told him and she hoped only he could hear it.

"Glad to be here." He answered and looked at his father, who got up hesitantly.

"Bae..." Rumple sighed and hugged his son. Tears sprang to Belle's eyes as she watched father and son. All she'd ever hoped was for Rumple to make peace with his past. And finally, finally they had arrived here.

"So, what's for breakfast? I'm starving. Neverland isn't exactly known for its cuisine." Belle chuckled. She put her hand on his back and guided him over to the table. Rumple followed them.

"Looks good." Neal said and examined the food. He looked like a boy who'd just come home from a camping trip. Belle stared at him and then it hit her. She wanted this; she wanted mornings with Neal and Rumple and…

"Thank you, Belle." Rumple whispered into her ear. She startled; not because of him, but because of her thoughts.

"You're welcome." She replied absent-mindedly. Rumple's hand on her arm seemed to burn. He was squeezing it gently at first, but he strengthened his grip. When it came to her, he always noticed when something was wrong. And he always expected the worst.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. I just- I've just been daydreaming." His grip relaxed again, but his eyes stayed inquisitive.

"What about?" Belle kept looking over at Neal, who was about to put a piece of cheese into his mouth.

"Maybe we should talk about it later."

"No," Rumple said with emphasis, "tell me now." Belle turned to him. There were still tears glistening in her eyes and she felt the confusion it caused him. He had no way of knowing they were happy tears from seeing father and son reunited.

"I was thinking about… us having children. I never thought we'd get to this point, because I knew how much you missed your son and how much you blamed yourself for what happened." Belle trailed off. She didn't want to have this conversation with Neal so close by. This was supposed to be a happy get-together. To her greatest surprise, Rumple's expression softened. He looked younger and more carefree than she'd ever seen him. And it made her fall in love with him even more. If that was at all possible.

"I told you we should talk about it later." Belle said with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Maybe you're right."

"Let's go have breakfast with your son." Belle took his hand and led him over. Neal grinned at them and Belle was suddenly certain he'd heard ever word. And he was all right with this. Her cheeks turned crimson and she looked down for a moment.

"Guys, come on. I wasn't kidding when I said I was starving."

Belle and Rumple sat down. Father and son started talking to each other. First it was hesitantly, carefully treading around subjects. But soon they both grew more confident and Belle just observed them. She couldn't help smiling. In that moment she knew she'd never been this happy. There was a small part of her that was cautious; she'd been around too long to just believe that their future would always be as bright as this. But there was hope. She had never given up on hope and she wasn't going to start now. This was her family and she was hell-bent on keeping them safe now that she had them both back. And maybe make a few additions to the family.

In the end, she figured, it would all work out. Because she and Rumple deserved a happy ending, too.

**THE END**


End file.
